“Last year was my first time in China and I really enjoyed this experience. The Tour of Beijing is one of the best organised races in the all season. The plan to come back this year was made in spring whatever I would win or not the time trial in the 2012 UCI Road World Championships. “

“As the Tour of Beijing doesn’t include a time trial anymore, my chances to repeat my victory are a bit tight. However, I will try again and keep fighting.”

“To many riders, the Tour of Beijing is the last race of the year, but to me this is a new beginning.”

“After I fractured my hip in June it has taken time to recover but my pain doesn’t bother me riding anymore. I am very happy to be back to the peloton, to my team, to a professional rider’s life, to put a number back on my jersey. “

“Sunday, it was good to ride around Beijing with fans, sponsors and guests, because we realised we will race the Tour of Beijing with people’s support. Cycling is now a globalised sport. We certainly don’t have so many opportunities yet to race outside Europe, although some of the races on other continents are much better organisation than in Europe! This is why I enjoy being back to China and Beijing after the 2008 Olympics.”

“This is a very special feeling to be back to Beijing as my gold medal four years ago in the Olympic Games definitely changed my life. “

“Last year I enjoyed training and racing on the Olympics’ course and I had some good memories coming back. This is the same this year. The race is hillier, which is a good point for me. We have no sprinter in the team, so we must make the mountain stage as hard as possible and we are ready for that. The Tour of Beijing provides us great conditions. This is currently about 23-24°C, so it’s perfect to ride a bike.”

“The Tour of Beijing is for my team and myself is a great opportunity to ride with world class athletes we see on television and in the newspapers.”

“To be honest, the race will be difficult as we haven’t experienced the UCI WorldTour level before. But I will do my best for sure. I hope to share with my team-mates my little experience of international races like the Tour of South China Sea [that he won in 2008, Ed.]. Given I am not fast enough in the sprints I would like to show myself in the mountains stage in the north of Beijing.”

“One of the biggest cities in the world, Beijing has got the energy and the will to stage an international event like the Tour of Beijing. We believe cycling is a great opportunity to show people from all over the world numerous sides of our City and region. This is why we applied for an UCI WorldTour race.

The preparation of 2012 edition started in November 2011. The Tour of Beijing officially involves more than 600 people a day, but we actually think there are many more, which shows a strong local support to that event.”

Alain Rumpf, Global Cycling Promotion Director.

“I am happy to see many riders involved in first edition last year come back to the Tour of Beijing and, after they have done a long season, I have a big respect for the commitment of the 18 UCI WorldTour teams and our guest Champion System Pro Cycling Team.”

“This year, the course is harder and the roster even better. This is the same in terms of organisation as the Local Organisation Committee is doing very impressive work.

“Among the reasons which led Beijing City’s authorities to start this race, there is the hope cycling increases as a green way to travel. Thus, the Tour of Beijing is a race to solve the issues many big cities in the world are facing with.”